The Great Escape
by MysteryGirl7Freak
Summary: Before Riku, Maleficent had another apprentice. One she kept under her wing for years and did as she asked. One she feed false hopes to keep him from asking questions. One that almost accomplished all of her goals before he found out the truth. This is the story of Luke, and how he found out the truth.


**Heya, readers! I've been so busy. For more than two months, I've been taking care of the puppies my dog had. Pretty soon, they'll all be going to new homes and I don't have to clean up after them anymore. Although, I am going to miss them. I've gotten a little attached. So to cope with the eventual, I've finished this one-shot. This takes place before The Destiny Islands had fallen into Darkness and Riku became Maleficent's apprentice. This is how Maleficent's first apprentice, Luke, became her former apprentice and saw the truth. Happy reading, this is for Prismrain13.**

* * *

 **The Great Escape**

Luke walked down a corridor with light purple walls and dark green beams of light, his mind abuzz with troubling thoughts. He didn't understand why, but what he had just done was really bugging him. The pale yellow door creaked a bit when he entered his room. Absentmindedly, he pushed the door closed and walked to his unmade bed, allowing his body to drop onto the mattress.

It wasn't what he did that bothered him. Well, it did actually. 'Acquiring' these princesses for Maleficent always bothered him when he took them away from their home world, but he still did it. Convinced himself that it was for a greater good. That it was to set things right in the end.

It was harder this time, though.

Luke rolled over on his back, staring at the ceiling as he thought back to the past events. How he arrived at that castle, found the room that girl was in, and took her. Not before she called for help, however, and a creature unlike anything he has seen before appeared. A monster that actually made him almost have a heart attack. He had to call in reinforcements to keep the beast back, give him enough time to call up a portal of darkness and escape with the girl. It was looking back that was the mistake.

Before the tendrils of darkness closed around him and his captive, Luke saw the look on the monster's face. There was such pain in his expression, such heartbreak and terror in his eyes. The creature was actually concern for the girl, a girl that was a prisoner there as much as she was here now. He was being attacked, but he only had eyes on the girl.

The beast actually cared for her. Seeing the look on the beast's face made Luke feel like _he_ was the monster, not the beast. It just made him feel so guilty. He hadn't felt this guilty since...

Luke sighed, his heart heavy.

The first encounter he had with his sister ever since his world was destroyed wasn't pretty. It was the reunion he always dreamed of having ever since day one, but it went horribly wrong. It started out well, hugs and tears of relief at finding the other one alive and well. Then those petty thieves tried to steal from them and he used his dark powers. Kyra didn't like it and it got rocky from there (now that he thought back to it, he did overreacted a bit. Those thieves seemed rather young and very hungry. Guess it was a good thing Kyra intervened or he would've finish them off.) Then he found that picture in her bag, saw that frozen moment in time of his sister with a bunch of strangers and jumped to the conclusion that his sister had found herself a new family. Then it all went to hell when she found out he was working for Maleficent. When she tried to reason with (well, more like yell at) him, he just shut her out, said the most hurtful things to her, and sent a bunch of Neo-Heartless on some people to distract her while he made his escape.

" _Could've been worse,"_ Luke thought, " _I could've send those Heartless on her. I could've attack her like I wanted to then."_

Luke sat up, running a hand down his face.

Kyra and the Beast weren't the only people he hurt. How many people has he hurt since going down this path? How many lives has he ruined, like his life was? How many families did he caused to be separated?

But won't he ultimately help bring all those lost worlds back when they find all the Princesses of Heart, and in doing so, reunite all those who have been lost?

" _Am I really doing the right thing?"_

Groaning like a man carrying a heavy burden on his back, Luke dragged himself off of his bed and plopped himself down in front of his desk. He rummage through the drawers, looking for nothing in particular, until he came across one that had a blue gem in it. He took it out and sat back, his hand high as he examined it.

It gleam in the low light, a mystic aura surrounding it. A smoky substance swirled inside the gem, giving the impression of a flame frozen in time. He remembered how he found it on a world where he became a mouse and almost got eaten by a cat (not the most unusual thing to happen to him in his life if you can believe it).

Luke leaned forward and rested his head in his other hand, the other one holding the gem as he rubbed his thumb over the surface. "I thought I knew what I was doing, but now...I'm not sure anymore. I feel lost. I just...I wish someone would give me a sign."

As if to answer him, the gem glowed. Luke shut his eyes as the white light grew brighter. He felt the gem disappear from his hand. Then the light was gone.

Luke opened his eyes, shocked. " _Wha-?"_

A soft whisper, like singing, caused him to turn around. There, right in front of him, floated a strange phenomenon. A little, flame-like creature waving its blue, smoky arms at him. _Will-o'-the-Wisp._ The name whispered itself inside his head.

Luke blinked. "What?"

He reached out a hand, his fingers barely touching the Will-o'-the-wisp before it vanished.

"Huh?"

A high note made him turn his head to the doorway, the creature floating in front of it. It beckoned to him, gesturing for the young man to follow. Later on, Luke couldn't explain how he came to the decision why he should follow the wisp through the castle. Something in his gut just told him to follow it. That perhaps this was the sign he wished for.

The wisp lend him to the castle's library, past bookshelf after bookshelf until it came to the one underneath the staircase. Luke caught up just in time to see the ball of blue fire disappear into a shelf.

For a moment, nothing happened.

Then a brown, dusty book shot out off the shelf and hit Luke right in the nose.

"Ow!" Luke glared at the wisp, which reappeared. "Really?"

A musical whisper responded, gesturing to the book at the young man's feet. Taking his hand away from the bridge of his nose, Luke bent down and picked up the book. It was old, the cover was stained with mysterious spots, and the pages were slightly weathered but not yet yellow, and dog eared randomly. It looked as if it had belonged to someone who had no idea how to treat a book nicely and kept it in the back of their pocket (that would explain the dent).

Luke opened it to the first page. In kindergarten handwriting, it read:

 **Pete's Diarey. Stay Out!**

"Maleficent's henchman's journal?" Luke glanced at the wisp near his head. "This is what you wanted me to find?"

The wisp made a gesture that seemed to translate to "keep reading".

Luke reluctantly obeyed, fingers combing through the pages. He really didn't think much about Pete. The guy was barely around. Also, that big cat wasn't bright enough to tie his own shoes. And reading the idiot's diary didn't help prove otherwise. Why Maleficent has him as an ally, he'll never understand.

"'Dear diary, today I was unfairly banished from the kingdom. Stupid mice. Met Maleficent and starting scheme to rule over worlds.'"

" _Wait, what?"_

Luke read another page.

"'Destroyed another world today. Really is something how those Heartless can consume a world's heart and make that place blink out of existence.'"

" _That can't be right."_

Luke flipped through more pages, reading more questionable entries. It didn't make sense; what Pete wrote and what Maleficent has been telling him for years. She told him their mission was to restore everything and bring back all that has been lost. That gathering those princesses will open a door that will grant them just that. So why was this diary telling him a different story?

 _Pete is a fool._ A voice in the back of his head whispered. _What you are reading is not true. They are lies to keep you from accomplishing your goals._

" _Then why was this book hidden? If these are lies then why is it private?"_

 _Just go back to your room._

"No." Luke continued on, ignoring the voice that has haunted him for years, ever since he arrived to Hollow Bastion. He focused on the passage near the end of the book.

 **….Maleficent brought in a kid today. Says he just appeared outside by the upside down waterfalls. Crying like a baby for his mommy, he was. Dum kid. He really fell for everything we told him. He must be really stupid if he thinks we're actually gonna help him find his family. I wanted to have that brat turned into a Heartless, but Maleficent had a better idea. Says she wanted him as her apprentice so she came up with this plan to lie to him and have him do everything she says. Ha! With any luck, this kid will last a week before the darkness swallows him up. Still cant believe how stupid that brat was. Believing we're the good guys who want to save the worlds. Yeah, save them fer us to rule them! Hahaha!**

Luke didn't realized how hard he was gripping the diary. Or how hard he was breathing. "No," Luke whispered, lightly shaking his head. He shut the diary and shove it into the shelf with great force. "It can't be true."

The wisp circled around his head and floated toward the center of the library. Luke followed it until they stopped in front of the desk. Again the wisp went through solid wood, right into the side of the desk. A moment later, a secret drawer opened, enough for Luke to slip his fingers through and open it fully. Inside were files of papers and maps. There was research that Luke had collected for Maleficent in here, too. Luke's ventures to other worlds were mostly for finding information of possible candidates who could be Princesses of Heart.

Luke looked up at the wisp, which was hovering next to his head. "What could be in here that I have to see?"

The wisp let out a musical note-like sound, waving its shadowy arms.

Luke exhaled silently. "I wanted a sign. I gotta listen to my sign."

Carefully, he shifted through the documents. It seemed the drawer was filled with papers and nothing else. It wasn't until he moved some papers from the back that he found a photograph. He picked it up and close to his face, bringing it into the light to see it better. His breath caught in his throat.

The photo was of an ten or eleven-year-old girl with a fox at her heels. They were walking down a street, oblivious that they were having their picture taken. The girl had black hair with one red highlight at the side of her face and amethyst eyes.

Not many people had both that hairstyle and that eye color.

"Kyra?" Luke voiced aloud, shock covering his features.

Maleficent found his sister. Found his sister and never told him. This whole time, Maleficent knew where his sister was and kept it from him. Kept him from being reunited with his sister. Right from the start, that witch lied to him.

He fell back on the desk's chair, gripping the edge of the desk. Hard. "She promised to help me find Kyra. I told her what Kyra looked like, told her what they all looked like, and she promised to reunite me with any of my family members right away. All this time...Maleficent kept me from my sister. That means..."

Luke sprang to his feet. He shifted through the papers again, more fervently than before. More photos were found. More of Kyra, except for two.

A kid in a desert market with a slingshot in hand.

"Garnet _._ "

A couple at a fountain, the woman crying while the man was comforting her.

"Mom. Dad."

Something inside him broke as a horrible realization clicked in his brain. His breathing became rapid and his face twisted up in anger. With a loud cry, Luke flipped the desk over. "SHE KNEW! ALL THIS TIME! SHE KNEW!" He punched the nearest bookcase, ignoring the pain that it caused his hand. What does he care? He deserve it for being such an idiot. For being so naive to think Maleficent was trustworthy. He was nothing more than a pawn. A willing pawn who was a coward and desperate to become strong. A pawn who became a monster.

Maleficent used him. She used him to accomplish her own goals and kept him from finding his family. She knew where they were and never told him. She let him believe that by only following the path of darkness that things would be whole again. That his family would be whole again.

 _Then kill her._

The idea shocked him out of his rage. The voice was back. It always came back. Influencing him. Numbing his mind. Practically controlling him. "No," he said aloud.

 _She made a fool out of you. A pawn. Do you not want to prove that you are more than that? That you are stronger than that?_

Luke wince, gingerly placing two fingers on his right temple."I do...but becoming a murder isn't going to make me stronger."

 _Becoming one? You already are one._

Luke shook his head. "No."

 _What do you think happened to all those people who you sent the Heartless on? Whose worlds you've caused to blink out of existence?_

Luke backed into one of the bookcases."No."

 _You are responsible for their fates._

He slid down to the floor. Curled up into a ball. "No."

 _You killed them._

"No!" His hands covered his ears in a desperate attempt to shut the voice out.

 _And you never gave it a second thought._

Tears stung his eyes. "No…"

 _Avenge yourself. Kill Maleficent. Take the power of Kingdom Hearts for yourself._

"I can't," Luke whispered. "I won't. I'm not going to be a bad guy anymore. I won't listen to you."

 _DO IT! INSOLENT BOY, GIVE YOURSELF COMPLETELY TO DARKNESS AND DESTROY HER!_

Luke clutched at his head, yelling out in pain. "Stop!" he pleaded, tears streaking down his face. A pain ripped through his head, threatening to split his head open."Please! Get out of my head! Stop controlling my thoughts and leave me alone!"

 _Amazing how weak you still are._

"Just get out of my head."

 _Too long I have waited for this._

"You're no better than her. You manipulate my thoughts just as she has manipulated me. I won't listen to either of you anymore."

 _Your heart is mine!_

An awful pain erupted in his chest. Luke gasped, but no air would enter his lungs. His back arched before his body freezed up, immobile. Stuck. Trapped. It was happening again. He could feel tendrils of darkness climbing up his skin, just like when his world fell apart and he couldn't move, ropes of darkness trapping him, choking him, swallowing him.

A soft, musical note.

Luke watched as the wisp appeared in front of him, hovering,

"Please," Luke choked out, "Help me."

Another note. Then the wisp shot into his chest.

Luke winced as the voice screamed in his head. The pain receded. A wave of darkness shot out of his chest, hissing and shrieking. As the last of it left, it formed into a snakey shadow and disappeared out of sight.

Luke slumped against the bookcase, panting in a cold sweat. His mind felt clear, clearer than it had in years.

Sitting up, he uncurled his fingers to find the summoning stone back in his hand. The gem was no longer blue, though. It was a dark gray, the flame inside extinguished. It saved him from a fate worse than death, but in doing so the will-o-the-wisp sacrificed itself.

"Thank you," Luke whispered, "for opening my eyes."

Luke pocketed the dead gem and stood up.

He had work to do.

* * *

After throwing all the maps and research on the Princesses of Heart he found in the desk into the lit fireplace, Luke set off for his next plan of action; to free the princesses.

He didn't bother making a quick stop in his room to pack. He can't stay here. He had to leave. Now. Besides, there was nothing worth packing anyway.

Luke hurried down to the lowest level of the castle. The dudgeons were a dark grey with golden bars over every cell with emerald green torches on the walls providing little light. Luke made his way to the far end of the hall, to the only occupied cell where the princesses were held. There were four of them; a young woman with skin as white as snow and lips as red as blood, a woman with her hair in a bun and dressed in an elegant silver gown, a fair maiden with hair like sunshine and lips as red as a rose, and the last and recently captured one with brown hair. All four of them looked at Luke as he stopped in front of the door, the latter of the four glaring at him.

"What do that you want?" the brunette, Belle demanded.

Luke unlocked the door. "Redemption." He swung the door wide open. "I'm getting you ladies out of here."

The princesses stood, perplexed.

Luke sighed. "Look, I know all of you have no reason to trust me. That it would take more than just freeing all of you to redeem myself. That, for the longest of time, all I was was Maleficent's apprentice. Not anymore. I learned the truth and I'm not gonna do her dirty work anymore. I'm getting you out of this place." He offered his hand to them.

There was a moment where no one moved, then Aurora stepped forward. She was here for the longest of time, the first Princess of Heart imprisoned by Maleficent. She took his hand and smiled. Her smile made Luke's spirits lift.

The other princesses followed suit, although Belle was still cautious of him. He lead them out of the dudgeons all the way to the castle's entrance hall, careful not attract attention to themselves. Once there, Luke took a step away from the princesses and prepared to summon a corridor of darkness.

"Alright ladies, it's time I got you out of here."

But when he raise his hand and tries to call forth the power, a sharp pain stabs his heart, causing him to bend over in pain.

"Are you ok?"

"What happened?"

"What's wrong?"

"I don't know. I-I just have a little chest pain is all." He took a few deep breaths, regaining his composure. He rolled back his shoulders and raised his hand again. "Now, let's get out of here."

His heart constricted with a burning pain, driving him to his knees. He cried out in pain.

The dark haired princess kneeled beside him, placing gentle hands on his back in concern. "What's the matter? Are you hurt?"

Luke panted, breathing heavily. "I can't open a corridor."

He didn't understand. Was it because of what the wil-o-the-wisp did? Was the years of using darkness finally taking its toll on him? Whatever it was, he can't summon a portal without feeling like a white-hot poker was impaling his chest. How was he going to get them out?

An idea hit him. "Wait, wait. My Gummi Ship. We can take that." Luke stood up and helped the princess up with a hand. He started to head for the door with the princesses following. "It's not that far. Once we're there, I'll take you ladies to-"

A wall of green fire sprang up in front of them, blocking them from the exit.

 _Maleficent._

Luke spun around and, sure enough, there was the witch. She stood regal-like in front of the fountain between the staircases, glaring with contempt at them. Her pet raven perched on her shoulder, mirroring its owner.

"Luke," Maleficent began, sounding like a parent who had just caught their child sneaking out past curfew, "What do you think you're doing?"

Luke glared back, shoulders back in defiance. "What does it look like? I'm leaving, and I'm taking the princesses with me."

Maleficent's grip on her staff tighten. "Put them back in their cells."

"No." Luke stepped forward, nostrils flared and clenching his hands into fists. "I'm not going to do that. I'm not going to do anything for you anymore."

Maleficent kept that stern, cold glare at Luke. Her face a calm mask. "Have you lost your senses, boy? Have you forgotten of our goal?"

"You mean YOUR goal of taking over Kingdom Hearts and keeping me from my family!" Luke shouted, his voice raising as he spoke.

"What are you talking about? I'd never-"

"Save it!" Luke yelled, his eyes blazing. He brought out the photos he found and held them up. "I found these in the library. Pictures of my family. You know what this tells me?"

Maleficent said nothing. A cold, blank statue.

"It's proof that you could've reunite my family and me together years ago, but you didn't. Instead, you made me play the apprentice who did everything you asked. So naive to put his trust into you, but you lied. You've lied for years! After everything I've done for you! All the sacrifices, hardships, everything! I hurt my own sister because of you! It's because of you, I had to grow up alone!" Luke paused, breathing hard. "You made me into a monster, and a coward."

The room filled with silence, tensed. Maleficent glared at the boy she kept under her wing for years. Then, with a smirk, she finally spoke.

"All but one of what you said is true. I didn't make you into a coward; you were always one."

Breathing hard, Luke growled in anger. With a yell, he summoned his weapon and charged at Maleficent blindly. He swung at her only to be blocked by her staff. Three more swings of his blade were made, all blocked like the first. He attempted to disarm her, but a pair of talons scratching at his face stopped him. Backing away, Luke draped his arm over his face for protection, using the other to keep Diablo away. Green light caught in the corner of his eye and Luke rolled away just in time to avoid the fireball Maleficent casted in his path. Two fireballs were hurled and Luke use the blade of his weapon to deflect them then rushed forward for his next attack. With great momentum, he jumped high into the air, weapon raised high and ready to strike down his former mentor.

Only to be struck from behind by a blue fireball.

The force of the attack sent him crashing into the stone wall of the fountain, hard. Water splashed as he fell to the ground, half of his body in the fountain, half out of it. Luckily, his head was not under water.

Before he lost consciousness, Luke saw Hades blowing his smoking finger as if it were a gun and the princesses recaptured in ropes of smoky vapors.

He'd failed.

* * *

Luke woke up to find himself in a dungeon cell. A dull ache grew to a stinging pain as his consciousness was regained. Clutching his head, Luke slowly sat up with a groan.

"Painful, isn't it?"

Luke turn to face Maleficent who was standing just outside the iron bars of the cell. "Maleficent." He glared at her.

"Comfortable, isn't it?" Maleficent gestured around the room. "This is where traitors go until I decide their fate."

Silence surrounded the cold, dank dudgeon.

Luke stood up and approached the bars, looking Maleficent right in the eye. "You said you would help me find my family. Why didn't you tell me you found them?"

"Have you forgotten what you were like when I first found you? Curled up and frighten like a beaten dog, shaking and crying. Pathetic. I took you in and made you stronger. Trained you as my apprentice. Your family would not have understand my teachings, our mission, and you would still be the weak, little boy I first met."

Luke clenched his fists. "I needed them. I needed my family!"

"You were better off without them. All they are is a weakness. Something as insignificant as love is weakness."

Luke gripped the bars of his cell, fire running through his veins. "You're wrong! Love isn't insignificant. Everything I did, I did in the hopes of finding them. What kept me going, fighting. Love isn't weakness. It's strength. Not that you would ever know that."

"Enough!" Maleficent demanded sternly. She took a moment to compose herself before speaking again. "Now, I'm willing to forgive this lapse of judgment. Let you out and continue your teachings with me. If you swear that you won't be disobedient again."

Luke, with a steely glare, answered. "I'm not your apprentice anymore, nor your puppet. If I had to, I would destroy those papers and free the princesses all over again."

"What papers? What did you destroyed?" Maleficent demanded.

"The research for the princesses, the ones I collected to find out who they are. I threw them into the fire. I may have failed to free those you have captured, but maybe I've stopped you from ever finding all seven and completing Kingdom Hearts."

To say this was surprising for her was an understatement. Anger scarred her otherwise regal-like features."I took you in. I raised you, fed you, taught you. I treated you like a son, and this is how you repaid me?"

Luke scoffed. "That's how you would treat your son? Sending him off on dangerous missions with little chance of survival? Someone should report you."

By the look on her face, she was not amused by his sarcasm.

"Even if by some miracle you do manage to escape alive and find them, do you really think they will welcome you with open arms? That they will so readily forgive you of all you have done, especially your sister? I would imagine, her working for the Heartless Resistance and you working for their enemies, that she would never want to see your face again."

Maleficent turned away from him, the bottom of her black robe swishing across the floor. "Enjoy your new home. You'll be living here for a while."

With that, she left.

When the witch was gone, all of Luke's bravado evaporated from his body as if someone was slowly draining him through a straw. Could what Maleficent said be true? Even if he does find his family, whole and well, would they accept him with open arms? Or turn him away and only see him as the monster he had become for so many years?

Discouraged, Luke sulked back to the bed and sat upon the thin mattress.

He failed. He failed to do the right thing and to free the princesses. So consume he was of his desperation of having his family again, he lost sight of who he was and blind to the person he had become. Now, he would never see his family again.

Luke reached into his pocket and took out the grey gem, staring forlornly at it as he held it in his palm. "I'm sorry. I guess it was all for nothing."

His shoulders sagged, the strength in him diminished like a dying flame. Then a flicker of light caught his attention. He watched in fascination as the gem he held briefly glowed blue before going back to its ashy color.

A flicker of hope.

After a moment of silence, Luke clutched the gem tightly and straighten up."You're right. I can't just give up so soon. Not now that I just realised my mistakes. I have to have hope. Whatever it takes, I'm gonna find them."

He put the gem back in his pocket and laid down on his back, staring up at the ceiling with his mind made up.

Whatever it takes, one day he was going to escape.

* * *

It wouldn't be until a girl named West was imprisoned that that day came. With her skills, West was able to find her way out of his cell and get him out of his. They made their way to the castle's front doors before West turned back, going back for her friends. Luke offered to help, but she insisted he go without her. So here he was, yelling after her as she ran back inside.

He should go after her. Help her fight and find her friends. Take down Maleficent.

Yet, he couldn't bring himself to step one foot inside that castle again.

Luke looked out toward Rising Falls where a Gummi Ship lay hidden, ready to take him away from this world. To freedom. He might never get this chance again.

Luke took one last look in the direction West ran off, guilt filling his heart.

"I'm sorry, West. I hope you and your friends survived this. I won't forget this."

With a heavy heart, Luke took off in the direction of his ship, intent on leaving. Running away like a coward.

For all the lies Maleficent told him, that one statement was true.

* * *

 **Two puppies have sold and gone to new homes. One of the families named the puppy they bought from us Luke. Isn't that something? This one-shot took months to write. From being too busy with life to writer's block, I finally finished it. I hope you readers out there enjoyed reading this and will leave a review for me. Be honest with your criticism, no foul language though. Maybe next time I'll write a one-shot of Kyra traveling to a world pre-Destiny Islands' destruction. So, quoting from a pin from pinterest, stay calm and watch Doctor Who;) Allonys!**


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